Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/835410
14 MOST political observers were surprised at the magnitude of the election victory where Dr Joseph Muscat's movement and Labour Party obtained 55% of the vote. There is a search for possible explanations. Firstly, one must note that the PL had maintained a strong lead over the PN in the polls (held every month by MaltaTo- day) throughout the past four years. This was in fact the third successive national election with similar historic results fol- lowing the 2013 General Election and the 2014 European Parliamentary elections. And it seems that, despite the apparent different issues in last month's election campaign it can be said that the same ma- jor contrasts between the PN and PL were at work. Of course the historic majorities ob- tained are the result of a multiplicity of factors coming together, including the recent history of the parties and current changes in society. For instance, in 2013 the PN had been in power almost uninter- ruptedly for 24 years, and in 2017 the PN had to recover from a gap of 36,000 votes with the PL four years earlier. However, some contrasts appear to have a more im- portant impact on voters. It has been demonstrated that the mag- nitude of the 2013 PL victory with a 54.8% majority vote was obtained mainly through Muscat's effective use of an empathic and inclusive approach to the electorate in contrast to a divisive and exclusive PN ap- proach (Winning People's Hearts: How So- cial Inclusion and Exclusion Informed the 2013 Malta General Election Campaign – Malta University Publishing, 2015). That study had shown how first of all the "PN leadership had been perceived as an arro- gant and exclusive 'oligarchy' while the PL projected a welcoming, open 'Movement of progressives and moderates'". The PL had reached out firstly to all fac- tions within the PL itself, and no less to the rest of the liberal electorate that be- lieved in equality and solidarity, including the aspirations of both business enterprise and the working class. It had been clearly evident that, while the PN had been merely talking of needing to listen to the people, the PL had indeed listened empathically and embraced people's aspirations. The same study had also argued how, in the Parliamentary Elections of 2014, despite the fact that the PN was accusing Muscat of breaking his promise of 'Malta for all', Muscat was still listening and try- ing to balance measures to meet the needs of all sectors and individuals while the PN still retained an ineffective exclusive stance of superiority. It seems to me that Muscat challenged Busuttil to provide evidence of the seri- ous accusation of corruption against him. When Busuttil failed to produce any, Muscat himself produced the evidence published by a blogger one hour ear- lier and challenged him to state whether he believed it or not; and, when Busut- til would not back its credibility, Muscat maltatoday, SUNDAY, 11 JUNE 2017 News PAUL A. BARTOLO Behind Muscat's victory – winning people's hearts Professor of psychology Paul A. Bartolo explains that Muscat's landslide victory is again down to his inclusive discourse and action, and a credibility based on sticking to facts and delivering on promises Muscat's general political stance had indeed earned him higher trust ratings (that partially reflect belief in one's truthfulness) than Busuttil throughout the past four years Muscat challenged Busuttil to provide evidence of the serious accusation of corruption against him... Busuttil failed to produce any PHOTO CHRIS MANGION